Health Updates

I will post some pictures with the next posting...this one is more for documentation.

Here is a health update on the boys...I'll start with the most challenging one...Matthew.

Matthew

• Matt has continued to get sick on and off the last few weeks. His latest illness is strep throat (again) and he's back on the antibiotics.
• We have done a number of tests recently and have seen an immunologist and Matthew has been diagnosed with an immune deficiency disorder called hypogammaglobulinemia or essentially an IgG deficiency (one of the most common type of antibodies in the body), which helps to explain his frequent upper respiratory infections and resulting hospitalizations. The immunologist seems to think that this could be a transient form of the disorder, which hopefully means that he will outgrow it in a couple of years and for now we will just monitor his levels. We just have to be even more germophobic (if that's even possible) with Matthew being very susceptible to having major complications from even the most minor of illnesses.
• We are also seeing a pediatric gastroenterologist to figure out why Matthew continues to have chronic diarrhea (He's had it for over a year). Initially they thought he might be lactose intolerant, so we tried to put him on a lactose free diet, but that hasn't help. My suspicion is that it is some sort of malasbsorption issue such as gluten intolerance...we have to wait to see the specialist in Houston...more to come later.
• Matthew has also been on some preventive (nebulizer) steroid breathing treatments (2x per day) for some minor wheezing...hopefully that has or will resolve soon.

Zachary

• Zachary unfortunately has had 4 ear infections since May and the doctor has recommended putting tubes in his ears (just like Matthew). We saw the ENT doctor today and his surgery is scheduled for next week.
• Even with the ear infections, Zach is pretty content and a happy kid so hopefully the surgery will alleviate any discomfort that he's had and keep that bacteria away.
• Zach continues to be on Zantac for acid reflux, but I think we will once again try to wean him off the medication because I think he seems to be doing much better.
• Zach is also doing some preventative daily breathing treatments for a chronic cough, which has subsided significantly in the last couple of weeks.

Alex

• Alex has also been battling a stubburn ear infection and had to go on 2 different antibiotics to clear it up. He got a clean bill of health from the pediatrician this morning, so hopefully the ear infection will not come back.